The course was two parts. First you had to do a 10-15 hours of online videos and tests then their was one full day of hands on training. The online part was a great introduction for Ben and I, who are relatively new to the offshore sailing world, and a good reminder for Bill and Renee (mom and dad).

The hands on course did a good job of explaining exactly what things would be like and how we would experience them if they ever happened. We went over boating accidents, and how they could have been prevented or handled better. We even got to talk to some of the crew who had been on a boat where they lost their rudder and had to make a new one. They gave us great information on everything from fires, to hypothermia. Towards the end we got to test out our life jackets and gear, in the very hands on experience of jumping into a pool to demonstrate how it would be like to fall overboard.

Overall they made the activities pretty fun especially considering Ben and I were the only children who attended. We left the day with new ideas that we could add to make our boat and boating experience safer as well as feeling more sure of ourselves and our trip.